Machine



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'MOWING MACHINE. N0. 277,984.

Patented May 22,1883.

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MOWING MAGHINEr v No. 277,984. Patented May 22,1883.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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] UNITED STATES FRANK BRAMEB, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MOWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

277,984, dated May 22, 1883.

Application filed December 20, 18 82. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK BRAMER, of

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in-Mowing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sundry improvements applicable to machines of the class usually designated two-wheel front-cut mowers, and includes means for connecting the fingerbeam and inner shoe with each other and with the coupling-arm or main brace, means for securing the wheel at the inner end of the finger-beam with the'coupling-arm, means for connecting the wheel or roller at the outer end of the finger-beam with the outer shoe and with aprotectin g cap or shield, means for raising and lowering the finger-beam, 850., a peculiar construction of the coupling-arm, and the manner of connecting its thrust-brace with the main frame.

The improvements deemed novel will be particularly pointed out by the claims after first describing the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show only such features of a fullyorganized mower as are deemed requisite to a proper illustration of my improvements.

Figure l is a plan or top view, with portions of the main frame and tongue and the supporting-wheels shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2' is a side elevation on an enlarged scale, with the finger-beam in section, parts being broken away or omitted. Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in rear elevation and partly in section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a View in section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5, showing details of the connection between the outer shoe and its wheel; Fig.5, a view in elevation of the outer shoe and its wheel. Fig. 6 is a view in section of Fig. 1, showing details of the universal joint connecting the couplingarm and main frame. Fig. 7 is a view in sec tion on the line-7 7 of Fig. 1, showing details of the connection between the fin ger-beam and inner shoe. Fig. 8 is a front elevation, showing details of the connection between the main frame and the push-bar or thrust-brace, the brace being in section. Fig.9 is a rear elevation, showing the gag-lever and the manner of supporting it on the coupling-arm.

A main frame, A, supporting-wheels B B, either or both of which may, in any suitable well-known way, be connected with the axle of the machine to drive appropriate cutteractuating gearing, a tongue, A, and a drivers seat are provided, as usual, as are also all other parts of a complete machine which are neither shown by the drawings nor hereinafter described.

A main brace or coupling-arm, O, is connected at its inner or heel end by a suitable universal joint, 0, with the outer front corner or forwardly-extendin g arm I) of the main frame A. At its outer end the couplin g-arm is forked to provide two arms, D D, the arm D extendingin the direction of the length of the main portion. of the couplingarm, and the other branch, D, projecting first forward, and then being bent so as to extend parallelwith the shorter straightarmD. The forks of the coupling-arm are perforated at their ends, and are pivotally connected with the shoe and fingerboam by means of pivots or hinge-lugs'd d.

The lug cl is formed with or rigidly attached to a cap-piece or guide-plate, E, for the cutterbar. The cutter bar or knife-back, as will readily be understood,reciproeates in the guideway 0. (See Fig. 2.) A screw or bolt, serves, in connection with the usual seat or recess, 5 in the shoe G, to secure the shoe and fingerbeam F together, as well as to detachably hold the cap-piece E, with its pivot-lug d, in place. The forward lug, d, is formed with or rigidly attached to the shoe between its point and the finger-beam and in line with the lug d. A single removable cross -pin, 01*, or its equivalent, serves to prevent accidental separation of the coupling-arm forks and the lugs 11 d. It will be seen that the coupling-arm may readily be connected with or detached from the shoe and finger-beam, and that the finger beam, shoe, and cap-piece may be connected or separated simply by removing the bolt f. Advantages of such construction are obvious.

Close to but inside the heel of the fingerbeam the coupling-arm is formed with two parallel rearwardly-projectin g short arms or bearing-lugs, H H, having slots h 7 for vertically adjusting abolt, I, surrounded by a sleeve, I, about which awheel or roller, H, turns. A nut, '5, serves to firmly clamp the boltand sleeve in their adjusted position, so as to hold A push-bar or thrust-brace, J, is jointed at its front end to the coupling-arm, inside the roller H. Lugs K K on the top of the coupling-arm and a bolt or pin, 70, serves to pivotally connect the brace and the coupling-arm. The rear end of the thrust-brace is jointed to a downwardly-extending doubly flanged or recessed arm, J, of the main frame. The pin or pivot-bolt k passes through the brace and through the flangesj j of the downhanger or frame-arm J. The rear end of the'brace is rounded andbears against the inner surface of. the back part of the frame-arm. In this way the pivot isrelieved of unnecessary strain and. theordinarily-employed loose-joint connection.

between the push-barand the frame dispensed with.

A rocking lever, L, for raising and lowering the cutting apparatusfis mounted upon the main frame, over the thrust brace, and is provided with suitable detent devices, L Z Z, achainguideor segmental sheave, m, and two or more hooks an, to which to adjustably attach the lifting-chain M, so as to give greater or less leverage, according to the strength of the driver or operator of the machine. The chainM connects with one arm of an elbow-lever, N, pivoted to the thrust-brace-J. The upward movement of the arm of the elbow-lever, to which the chain is fastened, is limited by a stop, n, and the other or shorter arm of the leveris connected by a link, N, with one arm of an angular gag-iron or cranked lever, O. The linkattached arm 0 of thislever projects inwardly, and when in its normal position inclines forwardly. The lower end, 0, of the lever projects down far enough to strike against the shoe or heel end of the finger beam, so asto stiffen the beam for raising the'cutting apparatus when the gag lever is rocked about its vertical pivot p by the pull on the link N by the rock of the lever L, the pivot 11 passing down through the lever-arm 0, through two eyelugs, pp, at the juncture of the fork D and the outer roller-securinglug, H, of the'couplingarm, and through a corresponding lug, f, on the lever, near its lower end.

From the above description it will be understood that a backward rock of the lever L and a corresponding movement of the arm 0 of the gag-lever will cause the end 0 of this lever to bear against the finger beam, and thus first stiffen orlock it against downward movement at'its outer end. Continued backward movement of the lifting-lever will next lift the outer end of the finger-beam, and then, when the elbow lever N comes in contact with its stop a on the thrust-brace, this brace, together with the coupling-arm, shoe, &c.,will be elevated and the finger-beam lifted throughout its length.

The roller Q, which supports the outer end of the cuttingapparatus, is provided with a projecting cap or shield, R, and is vertically adjustable. The cap is adjustable with the roller, so as always to maintain a fixed position relatively thereto, and so offer no unnecessary obstruction when the wheel is lowered, and always afford the greatest protection to the wheel. As shown, the rearwardly projecting arm or heel end of the outer shoe, S, is provided with the curved slot 8, and the shield R is pivoted at r to the shoe just in rear of the finger-beam. A bolt, q, is reduced at one end, and at this end passes through and snugly fits in a hole in the shield, and also passes through the slot 8 of the shoe. A nut, t, upon the reduced and threaded end of the bolt, serves, in connection with the shoulder a ofthe bolt, to firmly clamp'the bolt and the shield in the desired position and support the wheel-upon the enlarged portion of the bolt-=-th at part from its shoulder to its headat thedesired elevation.

A track-clearer is to be attached in obvious way by the bolt g.

I claim as my own invention 1. The combination of the finger-beam, the shoe having the pivot-lug d. the cap-piece constructed with the pivot-lug d, the securing-bolt f, the forked coupling arm perforated to receive said pivot-lugs, and the single cross-pin for holding the parts together, substantially as and for purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of the coupling-arm having the slotted lugs H H, the wheel H, and the adjusting sleeve, bolt, and nut, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the coupling-arm, the thrust-bracejointed thereto, the doubly-flanged frame-arm J, against which the brace bears at its rear end, and the pivot passing through the flanges of the frame arm and connecting the thrustfbrace thereto, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the hinged fingerbeam, the coupling-arm, the angular gag-lever, its vertical pivot, and means for actuating said gag-lever, substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth.

5. The combination of the main frame, the coupling-arm, the hinged finger-beam, the angular gag-lever, the vertical pivot by whichit is supported by the coupling-arm, the thrust brace, the elbow lever thereon, and the link connecting the elbow-lever and gag-lever, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth. Y

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the main frame, the coupling-arm, the thrust-brace jointed at one end to the coupling arm, near its outer end, and pivotally connected at its opposite end with the main frame, the finger-beam having hinged connection with the coupling-arm, the elbowlever on the thrust brace, the chain and lifting-lever, the stop onthe thrust-brace limiting the movement of the elbow lever independentl y of the brace, and the gag-lever connected with the elbow-lever, for the purpose described.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the outer shoe having the threaded bolt, and the nut, substantially as slotted rearwardly projecting arm, the roller, and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth. [0 the roller-shield hinged to the shoe, and means In testimony whereof I have hereunto subfor adjustingthe roller and shield vertically scribed my name.

5 and together, for the purpose described. FRANK BRAMER.

8. The combination of the outer shoe having Witnesses: the slotted rearwardly projecting arm, the (LB. LINTON, hinged shield, the roller, the shouldered and W. W. GASTERLIN. 

